Home ResourcesChelsea Stewart, House of Hearing, Esterhazy

Chelsea Stewart, House of Hearing, Esterhazy

House of Hearing opened in January 2022 and is a hearing clinic that provides a wide variety of hearing services and solutions. Chelsea Stewart is an audiologist who provides hearing services to individuals 4 years and older. Services include hearing evaluations, earwax removal, hearing aid fitting and servicing, custom earmolds and hearing protection, employee hearing screenings and more!

Chelsea’s business is located in Esterhazy, SK. She provides on-site services in Rocanville and Broadview, Saskatchewan. She offers on-site services for companies looking for employee hearing programs or in-home services for patients who are unable to access hearing services (i.e. patients in care homes or patients who are unable to travel).  

During Covid, Chelsea’s husband started a new position in Esterhazy. She had two kids and was on maternity leave with her 3rd child from the Saskatchewan Health Authority in Regina. Unfortunately, audiology positions in rural Saskatchewan are limited. As a mother of 3 young kids with a husband on shift work, a long commute was not an option for her. While she was on maternity leave, she started researching if it would be feasible for her to open her own audiology clinic in Esterhazy. She started by reaching out to people in the community to see if there was a need for hearing services. The answer was always yes. She gathered a lot of information and set up a meeting with a business advisor from WESK. She felt like the business would be successful; however, her business advisor helped her gather the evidence and financial support to allow her to confidently move forward.

Q. Why did you choose entrepreneurship?

A. My passion for audiology was in the public sector and I absolutely loved my job as an audiologist with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. If I changed to private practice, I knew I needed to be in control of the service I provided to my patients. I have always been passionate about providing services to people in rural Saskatchewan, as I have seen the strain on patients travelling to Regina for services and the stress it caused for many families. Entrepreneurship was the best way for me to provide honest and caring service and help close the gap for individuals needing hearing services in rural Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Although I knew entrepreneurship was the right choice for me, the idea of starting my own business was scary and absolutely outside my comfort zone.  

Q. How has your business changed since you opened it?

A. I am continually expanding and providing services to other locations where I see a need. I am passionate about making services more accessible and reaching people in remote or rural locations. I also want to make sure I always provide exceptional service and take time for my patients. I will never sacrifice this positive patient experience to expand or grow my business. My WESK business advisor has been exceptional with keeping me grounded and helping me focus on short term and long-term goals. This allows me to be confident with where I am in my business, but also have big ideas and goals for the future. I have hired a full time administrative and marketing assistant, which allows me to focus on patient care and has taken many office administration duties from my plate.

Q. What do you feel is your greatest strength in your business?

A. My greatest strength is my natural ability to help and care for others. I provide honest and trustworthy recommendations, listen to my patients, and explain everything along the way. I am confident in myself as an audiologist, and I know that is where I am most valuable in my business. Regarding the business side of things, I am learning along the way. There are so many resources, and I am not afraid to reach out and ask questions to friends, other entrepreneurs, my business advisor, etc. I understand there are tasks that I am not strong at, and I hire someone to do those tasks or invest in myself to learn and grow in those areas. 

Q. How has WESK supported you on your entrepreneurial journey?

A. WESK has supported me in so many ways throughout my entrepreneurial journey. I believe my first message to WESK went something along these lines, “I am looking at opening a hearing clinic in Esterhazy, SK, but I have no idea where to start.” I was fortunate enough to be paired with a business advisor, Amanda Parkinson. Amanda and I met on a bi-weekly basis where she provided start-up checklists, answered my questions, helped me create a strong business plan, created cashflow predictions, guided me through the incorporation process and held me accountable. My business advisor also supported and cheered me on, even when I was overwhelmed or questioned if entrepreneurship was the right choice. I utilized the WESK All Access Expert Advice for marketing and legal and these were extremely valuable. Over a year into my business, I am still utilizing the business advising for assistance with hiring, human resources, and guidance for next steps to grow and expand my business.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your entrepreneurial journey?

A. To be a successful business owner you do not need to have a background in business, sales, finance etc., I was just an audiologist who loved what I did and wanted to make an impact and help others. I knew I wanted to provide great patient care and have the flexibility to be an involved mom to my kids. Everything else, I have learned along the way. If I had to choose one thing that added the most value throughout my entrepreneurship journey, it has absolutely been my WESK membership.

Where to find House of Hearing

Instagram: myhouseofhearing

Chelsea Stewart, House of Hearing

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